sport news The AFL finally reveals whether reformed footy bad boy Ben Cousins is a chance ... trends now
After going to the brink of ruin because of drugs and alcohol, the AFL has announced that ex-West Coast Eagles star Ben Cousins' off-field scandals haven't ruled him out of the Hall of Fame.
Cousins was a generational talent and even during his darkest days he was still a premiership winner, Brownlow Medalist and a six-time All Australian.
While juggling his addiction he was still good enough on the field to carve out a career worthy of a spot in the AFL Hall of Fame.
But like other troubled footballers before him - such as Gary Ablett Senior and North Melbourne’s Wayne Carey - Cousins' candidacy for one of the sport's ultimate honours has been thrown into doubt.
But after turning his life around, Cousins wait might not be waiting much longer with AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder revealing his football career will be honoured 'in due course'.
Cousins (pictured left with fellow West Coast legend Chris Judd) did more than enough on the field to warrant a place in the AFL Hall of Fame
However, his addiction to drugs and alcohol resulted in Cousins prematurely retiring from the AFL in 2010 and spending 10 months in jail for stalking an ex-girlfriend
Today, Cousins has cleaned his life up and the AFL has now confirmed he's still eligible for a spot in the Hall of Fame
It came on the day that the league announced that former Hawthorn full-forward Jason Dunstall would be elevated to Legend status this year.
Previously, the AFL has remained mute on whether the former Eagles and Tigers star's long list of off-field scandals had ruled him out of the Hall.
It is easy to understand why, with Cousins' headline-making acts continuing until as recently as 2019.
His public battles began in 2007 when rumors surfaced about his drug use amid incidents like abandoning his car to evade police and being found asleep outside a
